If you do a quick search on yelp.com for dog walkers in San Francisco, you’ll be overwhelmed with over 90 pages of individual dog walking businesses. With that kind of selection, how do you choose the right dog walker for your pooch? In this article, I’ll be discussing some vital questions that every dog owner should be asking before hiring someone to take their dog into a public setting.
Are they licensed and insured?
The city of San Francisco requires commercial dog walkers to obtain a commercial dog walkers permit. San Francisco Animal Care & Control verifies that dog walkers hold a liability insurance policy, business license, ensures that they’ve completed a certain amount of training and performs a vehicle inspection. Checking to make sure your potential dog walker’s permit is valid is just an extra level of safety.
How many, and what sized dogs do they walk at one time?
City regulations require dog walkers to walk no more than 8 dogs at a time. Small and big dogs often live together, but for safety reasons it’s important that dog walkers compose groups with dogs around the same size. If you own a big dog you don’t want him accidentally injuring a small dog, and if you own a small dog, you don’t want a big dog running him over.
How are the dogs being transported, and what are the protocols for pick-up and drop-off?
Is the dog walker you’re potentially hiring letting dogs exit their homes off-leash, or are they being careful to close doors behind them and make sure dogs are leashed when exiting the home? Is she leaving the car running while she runs in to pick up dogs? Although it’s clear that this person loves dogs, you want to make sure that they have solid safety protocols in place for transportation both in and out of the car.
Who will be walking your dog?
If you’re considering interviewing with a company that has multiple walkers, you may consider asking how they determine who will be walking what dogs on what days. At City Pups SF, we ensure that every dog will be walked with the same walker, at the same time, every day. Dogs thrive with routine and your schedule depends on it.
What training methods and devices are being used?
Dog walkers that have gone through proper training should be able to manage each dogs behavior without having to use fear, intimidation or pain— this includes the use of shock, choke, prong and E-collars. Using harsh training methods and tools can be detrimental to the dogs mental and physical well-being and can lead to unwanted behavioral side effects.
What certifications and experience do they hold?
Every dog walker loves dogs, but do they know them? Verifying that your dog walker is Dog*tec certified ensures that they have adequate knowledge in how dogs learn, pack management, fight protocols and basic training. It’s also good to verify that their pet first aid certification is up-to-date.